Repair costs reaching at least 4 million won
Over 240 falling object damage cases reported in the past 5 years
A passenger car traveling on a four-lane highway was struck by a tire that flew off another vehicle.
On the 7th, SBS reported on an accident that occurred on the afternoon of September 30th on the Yeongdong Expressway in Hoengseong-gun, Gangwon Province. The cause of the accident was a tire that flew over from the opposite lane and hit the passenger car. Fortunately, there were no casualties, but the car driven by a man in his 30s, Mr. A, suffered significant damage. In particular, Mr. A was unable to locate the offending vehicle and is now faced with having to cover repair costs ranging from 4 to 7 million KRW.
A passenger car driving on a four-lane highway was hit by a flying tire. On the 7th, SBS reported on the accident that occurred on the afternoon of September 30th on the Yeongdong Expressway in Hoengseong-gun, Gangwon Province. [Photo by SBS News]
Debris, often referred to as a weapon on the road, is collected in quantities of about 200,000 items annually on expressways alone. From 2020 to July 2024, there have been 238 accidents caused by debris on expressways. By year, there were 56 cases in 2020, 46 in 2021, 57 in 2022, and 52 in 2023. This year, there have been 27 cases up to July. Since three years ago, the government has compensated for personal injuries caused by debris when the perpetrator could not be found, with compensation paid for about 90 cases. However, it is reported that vehicle damage is not covered. The main causes of debris accidents are poor cargo loading or overloading by freight trucks. In February, a 25-ton truck traveling on the Gyeongbu Expressway dropped steel H-beams, damaging three vehicles.
A passenger car driving on the four-lane highway was hit by a tire that flew through the air. On the 7th, SBS reported on the accident that occurred on the afternoon of September 30th on the Yeongdong Expressway in Hoengseong-gun, Gangwon Province. The cause of the accident was a tire that flew from the opposite side toward the passenger car. [Photo by SBS News]
In the event of an accident caused by debris on the expressway, compensation can be claimed under the Motor Vehicle Liability Guarantee Program. This social security system compensates for personal injuries caused by automobile accidents, and claims can be filed with any non-life insurance company or mutual aid association for processing. The compensation claim period is within three years from the date of the accident. Compensation amounts are paid within limits according to grades from 1 to 14, including death. The problem is that while claims can be made against the Korea Expressway Corporation or local governments, the victim must prove that the debris occurred due to inadequate road management.
Given this situation, only six cases have been compensated in the past five years. Although there were 297 lawsuits filed by victims against the Korea Expressway Corporation due to failure to reach compensation agreements, none of the victims have won their cases. To prevent unfair victims, there are calls to strengthen crackdowns and penalties on causes of debris such as overloading, and to consider a government-led compensation plan for vehicle damage as well. Currently, a bill has been proposed in the National Assembly to extend compensation for property damage in accidents that result in personal injury.
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